Brown Hair and Green Eyes
by the yellow flower
Summary: modern. some things never change, espcially when fate links two souls together so unpredictably. mysterious original ec.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: If I were Gaston Leroux and owned Phantom of the Opera, I wouldn't be opening Guys and Dolls next weekend as a Hot Boxer!!**

**a/n: ok so this does not mean that i'm not going to finish my other beloved stories, i just want everyone to know that i can't update every week. i don't know what's going to happen with this story, though i do have a set out plot line (heh as compaired to my other stories...) erm anyway, i hope you enjoy it!**

**plz read & review!

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Brown Hair and Green Eyes 

**Chapter One – _How Do You Know?_**

About ten miles away from any near by town there was a quaint little log cabin that sat nearly on top of an entire mountain. The hour was late and the moon was high. From the front of the cabin house no light could be seen other than the reflected stars on the glass windows, but once traveling through the surrounding thickness of the trees, a glimmer of a light could be seen peeping out from a hole in a closed curtain. Yet, even before reaching the hole to take a peek, it is easy to hear the growing laughter coming from inside.

Once inside the room, one has the feeling of having stepped back in time. There was no electricity because of the seclusion of the house and even the water had to be pumped, but it was clear that the little family living within were not different from any other loving group of people, even if they were not the "perfect" family.

Returning to the last lit room of the house, one is able to view a room painted light yellow over wood, a few framed photographs, as well as a collection of pop star posters hanging on the walls. To the immediate left of the door was a wall and near the far wall on the left side was a closet. To the right of the door was a dresser and mirror. Across the floor were three black suitcases stacked neatly on top of each other.

The laughter heard from the outside could be found coming from a queen sized bed in the center of the room. Under an old quilt and resting on big cream colored pillows lay two girls. On the left was a tall, fit, redhead with a huge smile on her face. Beside her was a shorter, quieter girl with dark curly brown hair, with even darker brown eyes. The brunette laughed modestly, but it was relevant that there was something deeply upsetting in those eyes.

"Really Christy, I'm having a hard time believing you've never heard of Zack Efron, "said the redhead.

"Oh Meg, you know I can't lie." She said quietly and light heartedly.

"Well, he's only the hottest teen alive. The town should be having a movie night soon. I'll see if I can get them to play High School Musical."

There was a slight pause and the redhead spoke up again. Taking her sisters' hand she spoke quietly, "I'm really glad you could come and stay here. I've missed you a lot. It's been years since the last time you came here. You were ten when Mom and Dad split up."

"I know."

Waiting to see if Christy wanted to continue, Meg when on for her.

"So much has changed since then. Mom changed her name back to Gary, you learned French in Canada… and Mom wouldn't let me see you…"

"And Dad wouldn't let me see you…"

Tears began to form in the both girls' eyes.

"I missed you Meg."

Meg reached to her shy sister and embraced her tightly.

"I've missed my little sissy, too. The bed is so much colder without you and too roomy!"

The girls laughed again.

"Let's make a pact, Christy," said Meg sitting up.

"Oh," she said smiling genuinely.

"Let's swear we'll never lose each other again. Deal?"

She held out her hand.

"Deal!" said Christy meeting her sister's hand and pulling her into a tight hug.

The following morning, the sun could be seen shinning brightly against a clear blue, summer, sky. Christine Day could also be seen sitting up next to a tree over looking a small valley below her mountain. It was spring and there were rich green leaves covering the entire known world. Christine was sure not to make the slightest movement as she listened to the wind whistle through the trees the same way she remembered it. Even if everyone had grown up, and more buildings had been built, this particular spot had not changed the slightest. There was still an old bolder, just large and high enough for her to climb herself, and that old bolder still sat naturally up against an old tall tree. Nothing had seemed to change, so long as she kept herself in that spot.

Closing her eyes she allowed her hair to flow freely around her head. It wasn't long before her mind was blowing around as well.

"_Christy?" Meg said gently at the foot of the bolder, "Christy, are you alright?"_

"_I never want to leave here. This is my home, Meg."_

"_I know, Christy, but Mom and Dad won't stop fighting."_

"_I don't care about them Meg! All I care about is you and me now! We don't need them, Meg!"_

_The older sister shook her head, "Christy, I wish we could…"_

"_Meg, I heard Daddy talking. He said that he was going to take me with him to Canada, but he said that he was going to leave you here with Mom. Meg, I don't want to go to Canada!"_

"_Christy, that's not true, you're just hearing things – "_

"_No I'm serious Meg!"_

_Losing her full balance, Christine fell from her rock only to be stopped by Meg. Once realizing she was still alive, the little brunette began to sob on the redhead._

"_Oh Meg, I don't want to leave you, never, never, never!"_

"Thought I'd find you in your old spot!"

Christine was startled at hearing her sister's voice. She noticed that Meg's voice had become deeper, in a mature, womanly way, yet even after so much change, Meg had not seemed to have altered at all.

"Mom was looking for you. She said it was time for lunch."

"Oh, thank you Meg."

"Is PB&J still your favorite lunch dish? That used to be the only thing you ate!"

Looking down Christine laughed softly. In fact, her favorite dishes had taken a French course ever since going to Canada, but it was true that she had not had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in ages.

"I would love some!"

Jumping from the rock, Christine met up with her sister and as if children again, the two took each other's hand with a laugh and skipped back up to the house.

That afternoon, Meg offered to help Christy unpack. Holding up a large brownish purple colored sweater she said nastily, "Christy, you can't be serious."

Christine was on the far side of the room holding up a comb and some deodorant when she looked back to Meg.

"What's wrong? I wear that all the time." Walking over to Meg to survey the material she added, "is there a hole or something?"

"Christy, it's disgusting. I can't believe you actually wore that."

Sitting on the bed Christine said to herself, "I never really noticed."

Meg looked back at her sister and frowned.

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that. I mean, what do I know? Canada could have a different kind of fashion sense! It's not like we have to throw it away or anything."

Seeing that her sister was in distress Meg went to sit by Christine. A small hand came into Christine's vision as it took a light hold of one of her own.

"How about we unpack later? We can go down to the town like we used to and get candy at the general store. You need to meet everyone again. It'll be great. Just like old times."

Placing a half smile on her face Christine spoke softly to her sister, "would it be alright if I had a few minutes to think?"

Smiling faintly Meg replied, "sure, do you want me to come and get you in an hour?"

"No, that's alright."

With that, Christine walked out of the room and began her trip back to her spot.

Seven years; it had been seven, long, merciless years since Christine had last been to this place. Everything used to be so perfect for her and her sister Meg, but in one day, everything began to change for their entire family.

_The sun was setting in the late March sky. Christine was dressed in a light jacket and wore a silly looking pink and purple hat as she skipped up the driveway holding hands with her twelve-year-old sister. Meg chatted never endingly about her new boyfriend at school and Christine smiled widely at her sister's socialite lifestyle. It was then that the door of their cabin was slammed open and light was spread unevenly across the budding trees._

"_We can't keep him Meredith!" Charles yelled at his wife._

"_Charles, he needs a home. Who do you expect to take him in if we don't?"_

_Meredith spoke in a calm desperate way. It was obvious to the mature mind that she was deeply hurt by her husbands' reaction to the situation, but to two young girls, now hiding behind an old oak tree, there was only madness in those words._

_Walking back to his wife of thirteen years, he took her arms and spoke to her face._

"_Meredith, he's almost sixteen, let him go. He can take care of himself. Please don't let this get between us."_

"_Charles, look at him. How could he ever get a job? Have some compassion for those poorer than yourself, dear."_

"_But he can't stay here. We don't have the room and he'll scare the girls."_

"_They need to learn to not be prejudice of those different from themselves."_

_Looking down to the woman he loved, Charles had to give in just a little._

"_Fine, he can stay, but not for long."_

"_Thank you, Charlie," she said softly, standing on her toes to give him a peck. _

_It was then that Meg tugged harshly on Christine's hand to pull her out from behind the tree._

"_Hi Daddy!"_

_Charles adjusted his attention to his daughters and smiled._

"_Hello my flowers, did you have a fun time at the general store?"_

"_Oh yes, Daddy! We both got candy!"_

"_Not too much I hope? I don't want you spoiling your dinner." Meredith asked caringly._

"_Oh no! Just a little, right Christy?" Meg asked nudging Christine's arm making her nod quickly to Meg's lie._

"_Good, because we're going to have a guest at dinner tonight, girls." Meredith said sweetly._

"_Really? Who is it? Where are they?" Meg asked excitedly._

"_He, well, he's currently in our room freshening up a little."_

"_How do we know him?"_

"_We don't." Charles said somewhat darkly silencing them all._

"_Um, girls," Meredith said breaking the awkwardness of the moment, "why don't you two go get ready? I want you to look nice for him."_

"_Him?" Meg was now even more excited at hearing it was a man, "is he cute? What's his name Mom?"_

_Meredith took an uneasy look at her husband and said to the girls before her, "his name, girls, is Erik."_

_Meg sat in front of the mirror in her shared room running her brush through her long red hair that she inherited from her mother._

"_I wonder what he looks like. I wonder if he's cuter than Matt. If he's cuter than Matt, I'll break up with Matt and go out with him. What do you think, Christy?"_

"_I don't know." She said simply rocking her feet up against the bed that was too tall for her to reach the floor with her feet._

"_I wonder who he is. Maybe he's a new neighbor or something? I hope he's not like the last neighbors that were over at the house. They ate all the orange cake and I hardly got any of it! There!" Meg sat up and turned to her little sister, "how does my hair look?"_

"_Beautiful!" Christine exclaimed. She really did believe that Meg was the most beautiful woman in the world next to their mother._

"_Good! Do you want me to do your hair for dinner, Christy?"_

"_Yes!"_

"_Well I'll try. I love your hair because it's so pretty and thick and curly, but I can never do anything with it!"_

_This left the girls to giggle again. From outside the door, Charles stood, listening._

"_Oh he looks interesting, that's for sure, Meg." He said silently to himself as he walked back to the old dining room that was once Meredith's mother's before she passed on. Looking across the dining room to his wife, he saw her listening at their room's door. She then met her husband in the dining room._

"_Is he ready?" Charles asked digging his aging hands into his pockets._

"_Yes," she spoke quietly, "he is very anxious about meeting the girls. It's surprising that he fits into your clothes so well. I always knew it was impossible for you to loose that dashing shape you had in high school."_

_She smiled nervously to her husband. It was apparent of how he disapproved of her taking a homeless wonderer into their house. There was a squeak of their doorknob as a tall, young man stepped out. He was wearing a pair of Charles' old blue jeans and a plain white t-shirt with some old tennis shoes. His dark brown hair was freshly cut to rest just above his eyes while being parted down the center. His body alone would have been very attractive to any woman, but his face from his lower cheeks to his forehead was completely covered by a white mask._

"_Don't you look splendid, Erik? Look at him Charles, he's all cleaned up for us." Meredith clapped her hands together and took a step from her husband to the young man._

_Charles nodded lightly and narrowed his eyes at the one who wore his clothes. The young man looked at him, than quickly turned his eyes to the floor in submission._

_Walking back to her husband, Meredith said softly, "Should we get the girls?"_

"_I'll get them, Mary." He said walking back to the girl's room, "Meg, Christine, dinner is ready."_

"_Yay!' Meg yelled opening the door immediately and running to the dining room. _

_Christine walked out more slowly and took her father's hand._

"_Daddy, who is he?" she asked in her little voice._

_Charles smiled and looked down to the head of hair that he owned himself._

"_You'll find out, angel, you'll find out."_

'_Mama, why is he wearing a mask?" Meg yelped as she pulled on Meredith's skirt to gain attention._

"_Meg, don't say that, it's rude!"_

"_But how can I see if he's cute if he's wearing a mask?"_

"_You'll have to learn him from his personality first. That's what really matters dear."_

"_But Mom!"_

"_That's enough, Meg. Go sit down in your chair."_

_With a huff Meg went to go sit down in her usual seat, except that this time, her seat next to Christine was now moved by the young man's that split them apart._

"_Daddy," Christine asked motioning with her finger for him to come down to her level, "can I sit on your lap? I don't know him."_

"_Sorry, baby, but you're getting a bit too old to be doing that."_

_With that Charles led Christine to her normal chair across the table from him and Meredith. Erik sat with his hands folded in his lap as he waited patiently for a sign._

"_Let us pray, girls." Charles said deeply, "Dear God, I pray that you will bless us with a good meal. I pray that you will bless the girls and my wife Meredith and that you will give us guidance for the road ahead. Amen."_

"_Amen," the girls chanted in unison once he had finished._

_Meredith looked to her husband in an odd way. He had never prayed for 'the road ahead' before. Meg was the first to pick up the chicken pie and dig in. Christine was then given the dish as Meg passed it directly in front of Erik without offering him any. _

"_Christine, would you like some?" she asked with her nose in the air._

"_Meg, that's rude, you need to offer Erik some."_

_Sighing dramatically Meg took the dish back, "sorry Erik, would you like some?"_

"_No thank you," he said softly to himself._

"_See, Mom? He doesn't even want some. Everyone knows you make the best chicken pie in town!"_

"_Well, he's new to town. He doesn't know, dear."_

_Charles looked from Meg to Christine. Christine was seen staring wide-eyed at the man beside her while paying no attention to the pie that was now in front of her. This made him squint._

"_Is there something wrong, Christine?" he asked quietly._

"_Meg!" she said suddenly as if struck, "Meg look! Look!"_

"_What Christy?" she asked. They were all stunned by this sudden outburst by the quietest girl in town._

"_Meg look at his eyes!"_

_Adjusting her eyes queerly from Christine to Erik, Meg took a quickly glance then returned her sights to Christine._

"_What about them, Christy?"_

"_They're green!"_

"_So?"_

"_Remember what I told you, Meg? Remember you asked me who I was going to…"_

_It was then that Erik had turned to look directly at Christine. She couldn't help but slow herself to a stop as if mesmerized by the bright green eyes that stared back at her. Her mouth gaped up for moment only until she remembered herself and where she was. This was when she gasped and blood soon rushed to her cheeks. _

"_Daddy, may I be excused?" she asked timidly looking down to her lap._

"_Now Christine, you haven't even started on your dinner –"_

"_Yes," Charles cut Meredith off making her instantly look at him, "you may leave."_

_That night Meg sat up with her sister in the bed._

"_I just don't understand it. Why would Mom just let him into the house? We don't even know what he looks like!"_

"_But Meg, he has brown hair and green eyes!"_

"_What does that have to do with anything, Christy?"_

"_Do you remember, Meg? When you told me what you thought the perfect guy looked like? And then you asked me? I said that I thought the most perfect guy in the world would have brown hair and green eyes! Did you see his eyes, Meg? It's him! I know it's him!"_

_Meg sat quietly, almost dumb stuck as she listen to her sister. In her twelve years of life, she had never heard her talk so much in one setting without being forced (and anyone who ever tried to force her would get a beating from her so no one even dared)._

"_But Christy, you haven't even seen his face. How can you know?"_

_Christine took her sister's hands and smiled sweetly._

"_I just do, Meg. I just do."_

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**ok ok so if you thought this chapter was slow, just keep reading. i got three more chapters on hold, just know that if you don't know the background first, you'll never understand the present!**

**sooo what do ya think?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: If I were Gaston Leroux and owned Phantom of the Opera, I wouldn't have updated all of my stories! HAPPY EASTER!!**

**a/n: sooo here's a nice LONG chapter! now i know this is a new story and i'm not expecting too much but REVIEWS make me like soooo oober happy!**

**plz read & reveiw!**

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**Chapter Two –**

Christine looked at her mother while she sat at the dinner table. Meredith had changed so much in seven years. She no longer had her bright, shiny, red hair, and a young complexion. There was age in her face and gray in her hair and even though she smiled as often as she used to, the light in her eyes had been nearly lost as well.

"Mom still makes the best chicken pie in the town, Christy." Meg said filling her plate with the pie.

Christy spooned a modest amount out for herself and smiled to herself.

"I missed your pies, Mom." She said quietly.

Meredith reached out her youngest daughter.

"We've missed you too, honey."

The remaining portion of the dinner was left to Meg's endless chatter about what was the new gossip in town. Once it was through the two girls scampered off to bed. After about an hour of Meg reading her magazine aloud to Christine, the girls went to sleep, just as they seven years before.

_Christine let Meg fall asleep, but couldn't sleep herself. She believed with all her heart that her one true love was sleeping on the couch just down the hall from her own bed. She had to see him again. It was dire that she made sure she he was the one._

_Tip toeing from the bed, she was careful to not let the door make any noise once she turned the knob. The house was dark except for the unexpected glow of a gas lamp that shined dimly from the far end of the couch. The silhouette of a man was seen cutting off half the light. Christine had lived in the house long enough to know exactly where each creek and crack was, but in the dark things were different. Even if her squeak was hardly noised, Erik's keen hearing caught it easily. _

_Christine stopped in her tracks as Erik turned to notice her. She couldn't see his face for it was turned to her and hidden from the light, but the mask was still on for it shined even in the lack of light. He crooked his head to the side in a sort of pleasant surprise._

"_S-sorry! I didn't think – I was just – sorry!" she whispered in a higher pitch then usual. _

_With that she turned quickly to run._

"_Christine?" came a soft voice from the light that made her want to turn around. "Your name is Christine, yes?"_

_She nodded slowly. She noticed a note in his voice that she couldn't quite place, but there was something about it that was beautiful to her ears._

"_How old are you, Christine?" he asked pleasantly._

_Christine looked down to the floor and mumbled, "ten."_

"_That's nice, Christine. Would you care to sit with me?" he asked patting a spot next to him on the couch._

_She smiled and would have skipped to him if she were not so shy. Even at the age of ten she was very proper for her age and sat at the tip of the couch with a straight back._

"_What are you doing up so late, Christine?" _

_Something about him saying her name made smile to herself._

"_I couldn't sleep." She said softly._

"_Any reason?"_

_She began to play with her fingers. It was a habit she shared with her father._

"_Is it because I'm here?" he asked learning over to her head level._

_She looked to him – only for a second – she noticed how even in the dark that his bright green eyes shined effortlessly. Blushing again, she looked back down making him chuckle lightly to himself._

"_Why are you out here, Christine? Aren't you afraid of me?"_

"_No!" she said quickly looking back up to him, "Why would I be afraid?"_

_Erik leaned back to the armrest and said, "because you don't know me. No one knows me. I'm a faceless traveler."_

"_But… but that doesn't matter."_

_His curiosity always got the best of him._

"_Why doesn't it matter, Christine?"_

"_B-because you have brown hair and green eyes." She said to herself._

"_What does that have to do with anything?" he asked highly amused by the little girl who sat next to him._

_It took her a long time to answer._

"_Because I'm going to fall in love with a man who has brown hair and green eyes." She said so quietly that even Erik had trouble hearing it. But once he had, he would never forget it._

_Cocking his head to the side, he said slowly, "but you haven't even seen my face. You can't love me. No one can. I'm not the one you're looking for."_

"_But you have to be! You're the one I've seen in my dreams! I know you are! No one else in the world has eyes like you!"_

_Looking down into the girls' big brown eyes, he could have believed her. She had never known the world or it's troubles. Her whole life had been sheltered. Erik knew this just in looking into her eyes. She did not know any better._

"_Christine," he reached out to take her hand softly, "you just may be the sweetest girl I've ever met or known, but you could never really love me. You don't even know me."_

"_But you're living in my house now. We'll meet each other. You can play with Meg and me and come to town with us – "_

"_Christine, I was not meant to be with people. That is why I travel so often. People can never see past my mask. With time, I'm sure even a sweet girl like you will even begin to wonder."_

"_But that doesn't matter to me! Honest it doesn't! It matters to Meg, but not to me!"_

_The girl's volume had risen in her protesting causing Erik to gently put his hand up to her lips._

"_No, Christine."_

_Her lip began to quiver and tears began to prick at her eyes._

"_But you have to be!" she sobbed._

_Erik looked to the girl. He had never truly had compassion on anyone in the human race, not even himself, but something about this girl made him want to care. Cautiously, he reached out to her and closed the gap between them by pulling her close to him in a hug. She easily went to him by putting her little arms around his torso. Biting his lip in confusion, he attempted to let instinct take over as he began to hush her, stroking her back. _

"_Erik I do love you, I do!"_

"_You don't know what you are saying, child."_

"_Promise you won't leave me! I love you too much for you to leave here!"_

"_Christine, you don't know what love is."_

"_Do you?"_

_Erik looked away from her._

"_No,"_

"_Then we can find out together. What if you loved me and just didn't know it yet?"_

_He decided to humor her a bit._

"_Then how do you propose I find out?"_

_She thought for a second._

"_We need to talk to each other, and tell each other everything. Then if we like what we both hear, that's a good sign. Then we need to spend time with each other so we can figure out if we do something that one of us doesn't like… or at least that's what Meg says to do. I like to listen to her school life."_

"_Very well then, how about you come and see me each night after everyone falls asleep so that we can talk, just the two of us, alright?"_

_This made her nod excitedly._

"_Then it's settled." An old clock rung in the corner as it advertised midnight. "Now, you had better do to bed. It is too late for you to be up, Christine. I'll see you tomorrow."_

_She nodded again and hoped off the couch, but this was not before she laid a light innocent kiss on his uncovered chin. Once doing this, she ran away quickly in her embarrassment leaving a stunned Erik on the couch._

"Christy wake up! We've got big day ahead of us!"

Christine's brown eyes opened just in time to see the sunlight cut off as a pillow hit her straight in the face.

"Ouw…" she moaned.

"Oh c'mon Christy! You can't have gotten so old that you can't enjoy a pillow fight!"

Meg pulled back the pillow to strike again, but not before Christy rolled off the bed with a pillow in her hand. Meg looked up with a sly smile on her face just in time to get whacked with a pillow.

"I got you!" Christine squealed with delight stepping backwards into the window.

"Wow you have improved Christy! It's about time!"

Giggling, Christine sat down on the seal of the window as she brought the pillow to her chest for a hug. Leaning back on the wall, she looked outside at the beautiful mountainside landscape. It looked just moments for the past to come back to her.

"_Look Erik! We can run away! We can live just over the next mountain! Erik – "_

Her thoughts were interrupted with another smack in the face.

"Don't fall asleep again! Come on," Meg was now tugging her arm, "we're going to the General Store today! Hurry up and get dressed!"

Smiling again, Christine looked back up to her sister and proceeded to get ready for their "big day".

The driveway from the log cabin down to the town was a fair mile long by its self. Once reaching the end there was a short wait for a little bus that ran through the town picking up various people from around the mountains. The trip to the town took a good twenty minutes, not because it was a long way, but because the route around all the mountains with their natural twists and turns took a keen eye and quick maneuvering.

"Do you remember Joe, Christy?" Meg asked as she got on the bus in front of her sister.

Christine looked up at the man driving the bus. He was in his mid forties, had a full gray beard and long gray hair that was uncaringly pulled back to a ponytail. In seeing Christine he toothlessly smiled making his wrinkles show vibrantly.

"Chrissine! I ad't seen ou in yars!"

Smiling kindly Christine looked up to Joe, "it is good to see you again, Joe."

"See, nothing really has changed since you left. Joe's still driving the bus as always." Meg said gladly.

"Day finally give me da tu dolla waise I wanned dou!"

And with that Joe put the old bus in drive and moved on.

About ten minutes down the old dirt road, the bus stopped again to pick up another girl. Meg tapped Christine's hand and said excitedly, "here comes Gina. Remember we used to hang out with her all the time?"

Her younger sister's smile grew in remembering her sister's best friend next to her. She watched as a girl with black, long curls stepped airily on the bus. Gina had grown a lot since the last time Christine saw her. She was tall, thin, and fit, and apparently was into black eye liner, but she was still very pretty.

"Christy?" she said immediately as she got on the bus, "Christy that can't be you!"

Biting her lip Christine smiled widely and nodded.

"Meg, why didn't you tell me she was coming home? Move so I can give her a hug!"

Meg moved to the seat to her right and allowed Gina to hug her little sister.

"I can't tell you how much this town as missed our little songbird! The talent shows haven't been the same!"

"Um Gina," Meg said somewhat awkwardly.

"What?" she asked.

Christine began to play with her fingers as she looked downward to her feet. Meg motioned for Gina to come closer to her.

"Christine doesn't sing anymore, Gina. Charles died."

Gina was silent. Christine, in hearing her father's name looked up to Meg suddenly.

"You don't call him 'daddy' anymore?"

For once Meg looked down in a submission like state.

"Christy, I - he, well he stopped being a father to me. The only reason I called him 'dad' was for your sake."

"But why?"

"Christy, he - he took you away... I couldn't call him 'daddy' for doing that."

Taking her eyes away from her sister, she looked out to the window and tried to clear her thoughts of her tortured memories for the rest of the bus ride.

_"Do you like to sing, Christine?" Erik asked as he heard her begin to hum quietly on the sofa one night._

_Blushing rapidly, she replied, "yes, I love to sing."_

_"That's nice. Will you sing for me some time?"_

_"Oh yes! I'll show you where I like to sing the most! Only Meg knows about it, but now you can too! The best time to go is at dawn. That's when all the birds wake up."_

_Smiling easily, Erik said, "then dawn it is, Christine."_

The brakes screeched to a stop as the three girls found themselves in the middle of the town. Christine was jerked out of her daydream and thrown back into the world.

"We're here, Christy!" Meg yelled excitedly as she made her way to the door of the bus.

"Ou kies av a gud ay!" Joe said with his typical toothless grin.

Stepping out of the faded yellow bus, Christine was greeted with the little town hall.

"Remember Christy, every Thursday night there's a town meeting." Meg said motioning to the old building.

"Yeah," Gina giggled, "last week Mayor Coldwell split his pants trying to bend down to get a dime!"

It was true, that the town was a close bunch, even if they all lived so far away. Every Thursday since Christine could remember she and her family, and everyone else's family was brought to the town meeting for super and gossip, and on occasion, town business.

_"Erik, why do they gossip about us at the town meeting? They say we're hiding something dangerous and they blame us for Gina's broken leg."_

_"Gina was laughing at you."_

_"She didn't mean it. And if Meg were there she wouldn't have made fun of me."_

_"Why was she making fun of you, Christine?"_

_"...Because I said I loved you..."_

"Look over there, Christy! It's Chane's Barbershop! We should get haircuts today! And now his daughter paints nails too! It'll be fun!" Meg said tugging on Christine's arm.

After about an hour or so of Christine listening to Gina and Meg talk openly about the town gossip to Mary Chane, they left the store and went down the only paved road in the area a little bit farther.

"I'm hungry, do you want to go to the Bookie's?" asked Gina.

"Oh yeah! No one can beat their strawberry pancakes! Come on Christy!"

With that Christy was soon faced with Bookie's Diner House. The old, friendly, wooden building had a porch with rocking chairs scattered around with tables between them that had checkered boards on them. The older men of the town could often be found sitting around and talking about the "old times" as they put it. Stepping up the stairs the ringing of a little bell on the door was heard as the girls walked inside.

"Hello Gina, Meg, back for my pancakes again I see?" Bookie said whipping his hands on his apron. His middle-aged eyes then moved to the petite brunette being taken in by Meg. "Bless my soul, it can't be little Christy can it?"

"It sure is Mr. Bookie!" Meg chanted proudly.

Walking with a limp in his step from years of work (a little from his raising weight) he came out from behind the wood counter to survey Christine.

"It is so good to see you again. We thought we had lost you. And you haven't changed a bit except maybe you've become more beautiful then before!"

This made Christine blush making the graying man smile, "You really haven't changed a bit. Still blushing at everything, eh? Well how about I put your apple pancakes on the house today? That's what was you're favorite right?"

Christine smiled widely and nodded.

_"Mr. Bookie makes the best apple pancakes in town! He even gives them to me for free, Erik!"_

_"Every time?"_

_"Yes! He's so nice, you should meet him!"_

_"How about you have breakfasts with me now? Just before dawn, before you sing for me?"_

_"I would like that, Erik."_

"There you are, Christy! You're favorite apple pancakes!" Bookie said setting a hot plat down in front of her.

"Thank you Mr. Bookie!" Christine said excitedly as she immediately put her fork into the pancake.

Taking her first bite she closed her eyes and savored the sugary sweet taste of the combination of her favorite fruit next to her favorite breakfast dish. She had missed this bite. They didn't have anything that was even nearly as good as this in Canada.

"Still your favorite breakfast dish, eh?" Bookie asked pulling her from her simple moment of pleasure.

Looking up at him she nodded and continued with the meal.

When the girls had had their full of the food they skipped over up the old creaking wooden stares to their original destination: Richard and Fen's General Store.

"Will you look at that Christy? Where else can you find every kind of candy known to man? Not to mention mountain fresh soaps made by Mrs. Fen?" asked Meg once inside.

"I have missed it," Christine said quietly as she smiled simply to herself.

"Hello Mr. Fen!" Gina said seeing him walk out from behind the storage room.

"Hello girls! And I know that can't be Miss Christy!"

Christine nodded as she had all morning.

"Well, well, there's a surprise! Will you be staying with us this time?"

"You're right she will!" Meg answered for her sister.

"Well that's just great, Christy. How about some free chocolate turtles on your homecoming?" Fin asked reaching into a basket of chocolate.

"Oh yes! Thank you Mr. Fen!" Christine said taking the little turtles from Fen's outstretched hand.

"Haven't changed a bit, have you? I just hope your voice is still just as good as – "

Looking over Christine's head, Fin could see Meg making a cut-neck sign and stopped in confusion of the modern sign language.

It was then that the door opened and a young man of Meg's age came into the store. He had a smooth complexion, bright blue eyes, and light blonde hair while standing at an even 5'11 height. Smoothing his messy hair back with his hand he looked up and smiled at Mr. Fen.

In seeing him there were four reactions: the first was from Meg. The reaction was one of a half smile that led to a half frown as she looked from Gina to Christine. The second was from Mr. Fen as he recognized who it was. He was not a gossip, but that didn't mean he didn't know what the towns' relations were. The third was from Christine. She knew immediately who it was and old memories came flooding back. Her mouth stood agape. The forth, and most surprising was Gina's.

"Raoul!" Gina said happily stepping toward him with her arms outstretched to meet him.

He met her, not only with a hug, but with a light kiss.

"Hoping I was going to see you're pretty face today." Raoul said holding her by the waist.

"Raoul," Christine spoke airily.

Looking away from Gina, he looked to the voice that said his name. Letting go of the women he held he took a step to Christine in what was almost noticed as shock.

"Christy… I, wow, you haven't changed a bit." He smiled a genuine smile and opened his arms, "why not give your old pal a hug, huh?"

Letting a smile come from her delicate features, she met him fully. Gina was giving a very good attempt at smiling. She was not used to him hugging other girls for such long periods of time. Mr. Fen took this opportunity to step to the back room. Meg was the one feeling the most awkward out of all of this and shot a nervous glance back to Gina.

"_Why did you skip school today, Christy?" Raoul asked sitting on the Christine's porch with her._

"_Well, I was just…"_

"_You were with that freak again weren't you?"_

"_He's not a freak, Raoul."_

"_Then why are you doing this, Christy? I don't know you anymore! You're always off with him! Everyone's worried about you Christy. He's not safe."_

"_Well – well he's fine to me. He teaches me now. I learn more from him then I ever did at school."_

"_Christy, don't you see it? He's brainwashing you!"_

_Standing up she said bravely, "I'm going inside!"_

"_He'd better not hurt you, Christy!"_

_This made her turn around at the door._

"_I-if he hurts you I'll – I'll make him regret it!_"

"Ehem, Raoulie, don't we have lunch to catch?" Gina asked tapping him on the shoulder and rudely breaking up the homecoming.

"Oh, yes, that is today, well, come on then, babe." He took her hand and smiled weakly in her direction, "it was uh, great to see you again, Christy. We'll have to catch up later, then."

"Later." Gina stated as she led him out the door.

Wide eyed with a strange smile on her face, Meg looked to her sister.

"Well then, I think we got enough excitement for one day. How about we walk back home? You know, see if we can beat the bus using the old trail?" she asked putting an arm about Christine.

"Yeah…" she responded walking out with her sister.

"Bye Mr. Fen!" Meg yelled into the air.

"Bye…" Christine followed quietly.

"Goodbye girls!" Mr. Fen said, popping his head out from a nearby door.

On the way out of the store, Meg linked arms with her sister and began to skip suddenly. Christine lost her footing and fell on the ground laughing aloud at herself. Meg looked down to see if her sister was alright and in seeing that she was, she began to laugh too. Offering her hand, Christine took it and got up. It was then that she was facing the store again.

It was a little after noon and there was a slight shadow that lay beside the General Store because of the nearby mountain crest. Christine was the only one to see what her sister was sure to be a hallucination. Near the back of the store at the corner of the old building, deep in the shadow, was a pair of bright green eyes.

Christine fainted.

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**sooo how you all out there liking/ not liking it??**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: If I were Gaston Leroux and owned Phantom of the Opera, I wouldn't have stayed home sick today. Ewk.**

**a/n: so i'm hoping to raise the publicity for this story, any suggestions?**

**plz read & review!**

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**Chapter Three – _Gleaming in the Moonlight_**

Sitting on an old stump that was once used to split wood, Christine looked longingly at the shed that sat yards from her house. The shed used to be a pale blue, but with ten years of the mountain wind and rain, with no up keeping, the shed was slowly returning to the dust it once was. There was reason Meredith had not kept it or destroyed.

"_We're moving you out to the shed, Erik." Meredith said patting Erik's arm lightly as she led him out to the pale blue building. "Charles has fixed it up for you even. This way you can stay more comfortably."_

_Once settling Erik in his new accommodation, Meredith looked back to the back door of the cabin where Charles stood holding hands with Christine. _

"_It's done then." Charles said quietly._

"_Thank you, Charles." Meredith said softly kissing her husband on the cheek._

"Christy?"

Breaking her trance, Christine looked behind her to see her mother with a sandwich and a fruit smoothie. Meredith wore a smile, but it was apparent that there was pain behind her once delicate features. Sitting down next to her daughter and handing her the food she spoke.

"Every now and then I'll come out here too. I never in my wildest dreams thought that all this could happen." Taking her daughter's hand she said, "I really did love your father. I still do."

Christine broke her eye contact with her mother. There was no point in asking why. It is a true fact that the one who doesn't talk, listens and hears. Christine was not a talkative person, but she did listen and she had the memory of an elephant if not better. It was in situations such as these that she would remember what she was told.

"_Christine, baby, come closer to me."_

_Charles had been dying for days. Ever since Christine's seventeenth birthday he had taken to drinking. She never quite knew why and she, at times, wanted to blame herself, but in truth, what had happened was the Charles had suddenly realized that seven years had indeed passed. He never let a day go by when he didn't think about his wife. He loved her more than anything and even if Christine took a greater image liking to him, he couldn't help but remember how he had walked out on his old life._

_He had been driving home when he saw no point in his life. The drink was already in his system and all pleasurable things had left his mind. There was a sharp turn ahead and he knew of it well. He sped up and drove straight forward._

_Christine looked down at her father as he lay dying in a hospital bed._

"_Yes, Daddy?"_

"_Take my hand, Christine… That's good now. I want you… I want you to know the… the truth. I want you to… I want you to know that I have always loved you… You, and your mother and Meg. I loved – love all of you and … I never stopped. I just… I just was scared to go back… but now you can go back Christine."_

"_Daddy…"_

"_No, Christine, listen to me. I want you to forget all the bad things that have happened. I want you to… to go back home – our home – and relive your life with your sister and mother. I want you to be happy… happy again Christine. I love you… I love you…"_

_And with that, the old man's eyes never opened again._

"Christy?" Meredith asked.

"Mom," Christine said taking her mother's hand, "Daddy never stopped loving you. He told me so himself."

Tears formed in Meredith's eyes and she hugged her daughter until the sun was gone in the sky. It was strange how Christine did not have the same reaction. There were hardly any tears of any kind left in her. There only seemed to be some empty hole in her heart.

A few days later Christine sat on her porch watching the day pass. Meg had gone out with Gina for lunch and Christine persuaded her to leave without her. Christine needed time to think and so, she sat listening to the sounds of the nature around her. It wasn't long until something else interrupted her.

"Christy?"

Looking towards the sound of her name, she saw Raoul walking coolly up the dirt driveway.

"Raoul?"

"Christy hey! Sorry about the other day. Lately it's pretty much been what Gina says goes."

"Yeah…"

"Hey but let's not talk about that." He said sitting down smoothly on the steps, "I came to catch up with you."

Smiling lightly she looked up to him.

"You really haven't changed a bit, Lotte."

This made her really smile.

"Lotte." She said sentimentally, "Even Daddy stopped calling me that."

"Yeah, I'm, uh sorry to hear about that."

Shrugging, Christine looked down to her knees.

"But hey, now you're back, and things can go just back to the way they were, even with us."

In saying this he extended his hand to overlap hers.

"You sound like Daddy before he died."

"Really? What did he say?"

"That I should go back to the way things were."

"And why not?"

"You know why."

There was a silence that was filled lovingly with the sounds of the mountains.

"Look, if it has to do with that freak again – "

"His name is Erik." She said looking at him with hurt in her eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry. I just, well, maybe things haven't changed, and maybe they never will, but we can start over. There's nothing stopping us."

"But Gina…"

"But she doesn't matter now. Not now that you're back." He pleaded.

This made her uncomfortable and she stood up.

"I'm sorry, Raoul, but – but I'm sorry."

With that she left to go into the house.

"I'll see tomorrow then, Lotte?" he asked once she reached the door.

"Maybe."

"Till tomorrow then."

Looking to the floorboards she nodded slightly and walked in.

That night when Meg was getting ready for bed, Christine helped Meredith wash the dishes. There were not many questions left for Christine to know or ask about, but there was one that plagued her mind like no other.

"Mom, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Christy. What is it?"

Swallowing hard, she said, "Did you ever find out what happened to Erik?"

Meredith stopped her drying and set the dish down.

"Erik, I haven't heard that name in years."

Taking the back of a chair, Meredith sat down almost faintly. Christine followed her lead.

"Well, nothing major has happened around here since then. Everyone has gone back to normal and within a few years, the rumors stopped. Everything dies away with time. He said he was a traveler. Sometimes I believe he left, but others… You must forgive an old women's mind, Christy, but sometimes, sometimes I think I see him, but only for a second. But don't rely on my word, baby. Erik, well he, he could be out there, but that doesn't mean you need to go looking for him, Christy. I don't want you looking for him, is that understood?"

Christine looked into the old women's eyes and whispered the words, "yes."

"Now, I'll finish these dishes. You go in there and catch up with Meg."

Nodding, Christine got up and left.

It was after midnight and the only thing that could be found to penetrate the perfect solitude of the mountains were a few scattered crickets. The old Gary house was silent as well as it sat peacefully on top of its mountain, but there was one just inside the house who wasn't having such a tranquil night.

_Christine came running out of the house. The shed door was cracked open and revealed little light from the inside. The sun had already begun to set when the old door flew open and a scared, crying, girl ran in._

"_Erik! Erik Daddy said he was moving back to Canada! He wants to leave and take me with him! Erik – Erik what are you doing?"_

_Little Christine looked around the little shed at the lack of random objects such as experiments and such, around the room that she was so used to seeing. Through watery eyes she found Erik in a corner as he packed up his last things._

"_Erik? Erik you're not… not?" she couldn't finish._

"_I will not cause any more hurt for your family. I have done enough as it is. I am leaving."_

"_Erik! Erik no, you can't! Please!"_

_With this he turned around to face her. Kneeling to her level he said, "Christine, you must not do this. I'm leaving so that you can move on with your life. I've already caused you too much pain."_

_In saying this is put a hand up to her small cheek. The girl looked from side to side._

"_No, no-no, I'll, I'll go with you. I don't want to stay here. Everyone is talking and saying bad things about our family. I don't want to stay here anymore! I want to go with you!" she fell into him sobbing, "I want to go with you!"_

_He didn't push her away knowing that it would surely be the last time for the two of them to be together._

"_Erik, please don't go. I don't know what I'll do without you."_

"_Don't cry, Christine, you're tears are worth too much in comparison to me."_

_Leaning away from him in order to look into his eyes she asked, "it's not true is it? Raoul's in the doctors now. He only woke up this morning. Mom said that he was found not breathing outside his house yesterday. They said that it was our fault! But it couldn't be! We didn't do anything wrong!"_

_He brought her back into his embrace only to make her hush. He didn't want to hear of the past once it had already been over and done with. It was true that the boy had been wondering too close to that little shed for Erik's comfort. It was also true that Erik knew of the boys intentions of keeping Christine away from him as much as possible. What happened the night before was hardly the extent of Erik's capabilities._

"_Christine, they say these things because they don't like me. They don't know me like you do, and like your sister, they don't like me."_

"_But that doesn't mean we can't – "_

"_Christine, we can't, I was meant to be alone."_

"_But not when someone loves you!"_

_Now even Erik's eyes were beginning to water. He knew he had found the only person on earth who would ever accept him for himself and now he had to leave her. Bringing her close to him for the last time he kissed her forehead with all the tenderness he could muster from the heart that had never been taught to love. Now they both were crying when Charles was heard yelling for Christine._

"_He'll be wanting to see you." Christine heard in her ear._

"_But I don't want to go!" she said taking a tighter hold on Erik's neck._

"_But you have too."_

_He was trying to push the girl away._

"_But I won't go!"_

"_Christine," he said taking her shoulders, "Christine you have to go with him. If you love me, leave me, leave me."_

With the words "leave me" ringing through her head, Christine woke with a start. The place that surrounded her would never be the same again since everything had already happened. Raoul was wrong, he didn't understand all that Christine had gone through. With millions of thoughts beating at her mind, Christine put on a light coat and quietly tip toed outside to the one place she could completely be alone.

The rock was cold, but the moon was high and bright. She had not sung in years, but something inside of her was building; something that needed to come out. At first it was a hum, but it grew and grew when her emotions wanted to burst out of her like lightning. Standing on the rock and taking a large breath she suddenly yelled out to the sky, "Nothing has changed!"

When those three words had been said, a pair of bright green eyes began to gleam in the moonlight just beyond the rock Christine stood on.

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**o.m.goodness. WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN?? funny how i already know?**


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